Trumbull County 911 chief calls for rate hike
To be routed for hiring, along with equipment repairs and replacement
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WARREN -- Trumbull County 911 Director Tacy Bond will seek annual 10% increases in costs over a three-year period charged to the majority of police and fire departments using the county's dispatch services to make up for losses the dispatch center has experienced over the last decade.
The 911 center has not increased costs for its services during that period, she said.
It needs the extra income to add new dispatchers and to repair or replace older furniture, computers and monitors used for dispatching services.
Most communities pay a $7 per call for their dispatch services, whether they are police, fire or emergency services.
The combined amount Trumbull 911 received in 2022 from 16 of the 17 communities to which it provides services was $707,476. Under the new proposal, these communities will pay $778,223.60 in 2024.
ADDITIONAL INCREASE
IN WARREN
In addition to the 10% increase for the majority of its member communities, Bond also is seeking a 1.4% increase for performing Warren city police dispatching.
Approximately 30% of the county's dispatch calls are from Warren.
The city merged its police emergency dispatch services with Trumbull County 911 in September 2015. Under the contract, Warren transferred six dispatch positions to Trumbull County 911.
At the time, city officials expected the merger to save it $400,000 per year in costs of providing dispatch services. It had been paying approximately $980,000 per year to operate its own dispatching system.
Warren pays the county approximately $87,000 in salary and benefits for each of the dispatchers, according to Bond. In addition to the salary and benefits, 911 requires the city to pay $3.50 per call for the dispatch services.
"Under the contract, as I understand it, we were supposed to have two dedicated dispatchers that would only address city calls," Bond said.
"However, because the center in recent years has been so short of qualified dispatchers, we have not been able to provide dispatchers to only take Warren calls," she said.
Warren has paid Trumbull County $623,184 annually since 2018 for its 911 services, according to Warren City Auditor Vince Flask. Under the new proposal, it will be charged $631,839.54 in 2024, an $8,655.54 increase.
Unlike the other communities serviced by the dispatch center, Warren's contract is done on a year-to-year basis, Bond said.
While Warren Fire Department calls go through the county's 911 center, they are immediately rerouted to the department and a firefighter handles the dispatch calls.
Warren's fire department handled 1,635 dispatch calls in 2022, which was 100 more calls than were dispatched in 2021. So far in 2023, the department has handled 1,488 dispatch calls.
"At our current pace, we are expecting to handle more calls by the end of 2024," Warren fire Chief Ken Nussle said.
COMMUNITY RESPONSES
Bond reported that she told police and fire chiefs about the county's loss of money it should have received over the last 10 years if consumer price index increases were done automatically.
"That went down like a lead balloon," she said. "We now are suggesting 10% annual increases. The gradual increases will help with these communities with their annual budgets, instead of attempting to make up all of the funds in one year."
Champion police Chief Larry Skaggs described the proposed increase as being difficult, especially for smaller departments.
"The communities have to figure out where they are taking the money from," Skaggs said. "Most would like to know what the increased costs will be used for, whether it is for hiring new people; boosting the wages of dispatchers, so they can hire new ones; or for the purchase of equipment."
Skaggs said many of those affected by the proposed increases would like to have an update.
"We want more discussions," he said.
Fowler police Chief Mike Currington says if the increase will help to make his community safer, he is all for it.
Brookfield police Chief Dan Faustino describes wanting the county's 911 system financed through some other revenue source instead of going to individual communities.
"It is hard under the current funding formula," Faustino said. "Township police departments can only add additional funding by increasing their property taxes or taking the money out of often already-stretched police budgets."
ADDING STAFF
Bond also is working to establish a 911 board to review the county's 911 bylaws and operations. She suggested if the board had existed, the center likely would not have gone so long without addressing operational costs.
The 911 center has 19 dispatchers, with four in training.
"We would like to have a full staff of 30 dispatchers," Bond said. "In the four months I've been here, I've seen our dispatchers working a ton of overtime. We have a few dispatchers that are working 130 hours per pay period. Full staffing the department would significantly reduce the amount of overtime that's now required."
Bond is looking to hire experienced floor supervisors for the center.
Trumbull 911 has been having staffing problems since before the pandemic.
FINDING
A NEW HOME
In addition to seeking more funds for the operation of the county department, Bond also is working with the commissioners to find a new home for the center.
The commissioners were looking for a new home for the aging 911 center, located at 911 Howland Wilson Road NE, Howland, before Bond was hired as its new director in June.
Three sites have been inspected by Bond and 911 assistant director Patty Goldner. The sites being considered include 900 Pine St., Warren; the second floor of Warren Community Services Building, 258 E. Market St.; and the former Cortland Bank Building, 194 W. Main St., which the Trumbull Combined Health District recently purchased.
County commissioners last week approved advertising for requests for qualifications for conducting a feasibility analysis to provide recommendations for the development and renovation of the new dispatch center.
During the vote, Commissioner Niki Frenchko asked the commissioners to approve looking at an additional location for the dispatch center, as well as determining the cost of building a new dispatch center.
Bond suggested that in her past experiences the commissioners would consider other locations, if none of the sites already under consideration are deemed to be satisfactory for the center's needs.
Bond expects the move from the center's current location to take a minimum of two years to complete or even longer, if the commissioners consider constructing a new building instead of renovating an existing building.